Phoenix, a place Celeste Taylor can finally call home

The rookie point guard played for three different colleges and three different WNBA teams before signing a rest-of-season contract with the Mercury in September.

Phoenix Mercury guard Celeste Taylor (left) celebrates the Mercury’s win in Chicago on Sept. 15. (Phoenix Mercury photo)

PHOENIX — “Wait, I’m actually here past another seven days,” Celeste Taylor thought to herself when she put pen to paper and signed a rest-of-season contract with the Phoenix Mercury.

At last, it was finally a moment of stability.

After being selected No. 15 overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft, it has been a season of uncertainty for the rookie point guard.

Taylor, 23, appeared in five games for the Fever before she was ultimately waived by Indiana on June 25.

The Mercury then signed her to a seven-day contract on July 12 before the rookie continued to bounce around from city to city and from team to team.

“It’s been a lot,” Taylor told Desert Wave Media. “As a basketball player, you’re trying to figure out your role and your fit into a system, into a style of play, and then when you figure that out, by the time you figure that out in a way, you’re onto another team, in my case.”

Phoenix opted not to bring Taylor back after the expiration of her first seven-day contract (which expired on Aug. 16 because of the Olympic break) and she signed for the Connecticut Sun that same day.

Taylor then signed a second seven-day contract with the Mercury a week later and a final seven-day contract with Phoenix the following week (a player can sign three or fewer seven-day contracts with the same team in a single season).

Nearing the expiration of her final seven-day contract with Phoenix, Taylor believed she would be back with the Mercury, but it was not until the front office officially told her that she knew for certain.

“I mean, you don't really know until somebody comes and says something,” Taylor said. “But I knew it was my last one. I knew it was my last seven-day (contract), so I was thinking just all the impact that I've had, and I was just hoping that they brought me back to stay here.

“But I had an idea. I thought I was a really positive addition to the team, so I had an idea. And the front office they’ve been great. The coaches have been great, so just their communication aspect, they've been really upfront. So I had an idea. But you never really know until you sign that paper.”

The point guard said when she signed her rest-of-season contract, it was on the same sort of paper that she had been so used to signing her seven-day contracts on that it took her a while to fully grasp the reality.

“And I think for me, it took me a second to, like, just sit back and really think and really just take in everything that's been going on in my life,” Taylor said about signing her rest-of-season contract.

“But just being really proud of myself and just understanding that just keep working hard and things will happen.”

Known for her work ethic and defensive prowess, Taylor’s time in the WNBA and transition from team to team has been emblematic of her collegiate career.

She began at Texas and played two seasons for the Longhorns (2019-21), before transferring to Duke and playing two more seasons with the Blue Devils (2021-23), before ultimately finishing with Ohio State (2023-24).

“Just that kind of ebb and flow is something that I had to kind of get adjusted to, but (I) also had an experience with that throughout college, because I did go to three different universities, so I do have that prior experience.

“But I think as a rookie you're just trying to find your fit. You're putting your foot in that water, and you're just trying to understand whatever is going on around you. So it was pretty hard changing teams.”

The daughter of Alex and Selene Navarro, Taylor was born in Flushing (a neighborhood in the borough of Queens, New York) and has one brother, Isaiah Taylor, and two sisters, Alexis Navarro and Ariel Navarro.

Taylor said she was introduced to basketball by her father when she was a young child, but she did not play the game too much as a kid.

While her family would spend a lot of time outside at the park, Isaiah would play basketball and Celeste would go to the swings.

“I don't think I didn't start taking basketball for real seriously till, like, the beginning of seventh grade, end of sixth grade, so pretty late in certain senses,” Taylor said. “But I always saw basketball around me. It was always a part of me.”

It was not until Taylor got her first college offer (from Fordham University) as an eighth grader that she began to believe she could one day play in the W and make basketball a career.

“I think then I started realizing,” Taylor said. “I'm a first-gen college grad, so even that in itself was kind of big for me. So to know that I can play basketball and then actually make it professionally, it took me a while to really understand that and grasp that.

”But I think that it's given me a lot more pride and just a lot more to think about and take in, as far as, like being pro.”

Throughout each stop in her career, Taylor has made a name for herself with her defensive ability.

But she learned the importance of defense long before she was named the 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (Coaches) while at Ohio State and the 2023 ACC Defensive Player of the Year while at Duke.

It was Rich Slater, Taylor’s high school coach at Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, New York, who taught her the importance of defense.

“I think when you're younger, I wasn't the best offensively, and so I think I just always relied on that defense.

“My high school coach was like, ‘If you can go out there and defend any position. You can dribble, you can pass the ball. So if the worst thing is your shooting, you can go out there and defend the ball, get extra possessions for your team. That's what we need you to do.’

“And defense is pretty much effort, and when you get older, yeah, it becomes more tactical and a little bit more strategic,” Taylor said. “But at the same time, you have to have that effort, you have to have that heart to play defense.”

After Indiana took Taylor at No. 15 overall, she made the Fever’s opening night roster out of camp but saw very limited time and averaged just 3.2 minutes over five games.

The Fever ultimately waived Taylor on June 25 which saw her time in Indiana come to an end.

“I think it was a good place to initially start it out. We always had great environments,” Taylor said about her time in Indiana.

The Fever started the season 1-8 but since then have turned things around and finished 20-20 and clinched their first playoff berth since 2016.

“When I was there, I got to go through the downhill battles with them, and they're doing really well as of late, after the break,” Taylor continued.

“And so just being able to see the grind that a lot of them put in from Kelsey (Mitchell) to Aliyah (Boston) all the way down the line, and then being able to be on the team with some people I know, like Caitlin (Clark) and Aliyah (Boston) has been pretty cool. But, yeah, definitely a great organization.”

After the Fever waived Taylor on June 25, the rookie wasted no time and went home and headed for the gym the very next day.

During that time of uncertainty, Taylor said she also spent a lot with her family and friends and “got to get away for a little bit.” She later went to San Antonio to work out for a week and a half.

But as Phoenix dealt with a plethora of injuries at the point guard position, with Natasha Cloud (left knee), Sug Sutton (right hamstring), Charisma Osborne (left lower leg) and Diana Taurasi (left lower leg) all sidelined, the Mercury went out and signed Taylor to a seven-day deal on July 12.

That same night, the rookie point guard made her Mercury debut against none other than her old team, the Indiana Fever.

“It was a player that we looked at in the draft,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said about Taylor the day she was signed to her first seven-day contract.

“Offensively, she’s really explosive but we like her defensive versatility and that’s an area that we want to continue to get better at with our injuries. We just thought it would be a really good move to look at a good young player.”

“It’s crazy how things work out,” Taylor said. “But it was good to be in an environment where I know I have been able to connect with a lot of the fans there, so it was good to be around them in that environment.

“And then just to be able to showcase to the W in general, just what I'm capable of and that I can play in the W. So it was actually pretty cool.”

Taylor played a then career-high 24 minutes as the Mercury finished the game with only six healthy players.

The rookie guard scored one point and went 0-of-3 from the field in her first game with the Mercury, but tallied five assists, three rebounds, two steals and had just one turnover.

In the 95-86 Mercury loss, which saw the Mercury trail by as many as 31 before cutting the deficit to four, Taylor made her impact known on the defensive end and was a vital piece of the Mercury’s near-comeback.

Taylor finished as a plus-10, the only Mercury player who finished net-positive.

“I think she was great,” Phoenix Mercury wing Kahleah Copper said after the loss. “She came in, she was communicating, super vocal. Just doing whatever she could tonight. It didn't feel like her first day. She was great for what she gave us today.”

As the Mercury saw players return from injury, Taylor’s playing time diminished during the last two games before the Olympic break.

She played 10 minutes in a 27-point loss in Connecticut on July 14 followed by 12 minutes in a nine-point win in Washington on July 16.

Because of the circumstances of the Olympic break, the seven-day contract Taylor signed on July 12 officially expired on Aug. 16.

“Yeah, I kind of had a, I wouldn’t say weird, but kind of a strange seven-day where I was here over the Olympic break a little bit so I got to spend a little extra time with the girls,” Taylor said about her time during the break.

She appeared in one game for Phoenix after the break, an 85-65 win over Chicago, and had six points, two assists, a rebound, a block and one turnover in 17 minutes.

But after the Mercury’s win in Chicago, the team had told Taylor they would not be signing her to another contract.

“(The Mercury) were going to Indiana the next day, and that night, after that game, obviously they told me that they weren't bringing me back.

“Connecticut had called that night, so I was already in Dallas the next day to play with Connecticut in Dallas. So it was a quick, quick turnaround.

“It was just like, boom, boom. Just being ready to be on the move. And so that was that experience.”

Taylor played 11 minutes in her first game with the Sun, a 109-91 win over the Dallas Wings. She made her only field goal but picked up four fouls.

In her second game, Taylor had the opportunity to play in the first WNBA game at Boston’s TD Garden, a 69-61 Sun win over the Los Angeles Sparks, but Taylor featured for just 12 seconds.

“It was pretty cool,” Taylor said about her time in Connecticut. “I got to play in the Boston game that they had, which was tremendous. I mean, great energy, good win for Connecticut.

“And it was just fun to be a part of just something so big like that, the first WNBA game at the TD Garden, so I mean, it was just great to be a part of that. And just understanding the vets that I'm with and getting to learn from them.”

One of those veterans Taylor got to learn from was Sun point guard Tyasha Harris.

“Just her professionalism,” Harris told Desert Wave Media about what impressed her about Taylor.

“It was a quick turnaround for her to be ready, active and just to fit right in and not cause anything, that just speaks to her value and her character as well.”

With Taylor’s seven-day contract with the Sun ending on Aug. 23, this time around she had options.

Her agent told her Phoenix wanted to bring her back but Connecticut wanted to sign her to another contract as well.

“I feel like it was kind of a rare situation,” Taylor said. “Because in a situation like that, you rarely get to choose where you want to go, in a way. And so I kind of had that option a little bit.”

Her decision in the end came down to where she felt like she could contribute the most.

“But I did feel like I had made an impact here, more than I could have at Connecticut,” she continued. “And so (Phoenix) just picked me back up, and then it just continued to go on here.”

After the Mercury signed Taylor to a second seven-day contract on Aug. 23, she again showed just how well she can adapt on the fly.

Taylor scored a career-high nine points in 12 minutes and shot 4-of-5 (80%) from the field on her first night back with the Mercury in a win in Atlanta.

“When we let her go, we were hoping there was a chance we’d bring her back,” Tibbetts said. “She had such a good showing while she was here. I said it the other night, she kind of just comes in and makes things happen.” 

Taylor’s teammates also started to take notice of just how valuable she is to the Mercury.

“Even the other night in the game (the Mercury’s 72-63 loss to the Atlanta Dream on Aug. 21 at Gateway Center Arena), I was sitting on the bench, and I’m like, ‘Man, we’re missing Celeste,’” Mercury guard Natasha Cloud said after Taylor signed her second deal with the Mercury.

“She’s a fellow South American so I love that Celeste is here,” Diana Taurasi said. “I think she’s made such an impression on our team and really every team she’s been on.

“She just works her tail end off. She comes in with the right attitude. She finds a way to affect the game every time she comes in … she has a bright future ahead of her and we’re happy she’s wearing our jersey.”

“She’s super solid, not your average rookie,” Copper said. “You wouldn’t think that she bounced around a little bit. She communicates really well, really good defender, and just makes all the right plays, all the right decisions. So I’m glad that she’s here with us.”

Taylor signed her third and final seven-day contract with the Mercury on Aug. 30.

During her final seven-day stint in Phoenix, Taylor made her first career start in place of the suspended Cloud and played a career-high 33 minutes in a win over Atlanta.

The rookie point guard said all of her teammates were there to support and encourage her and asked if she was nervous. She also opted not to tell her family because she wanted them to be surprised.

“I just think the main thing that comes to mind is just going out there and doing what I do,” Taylor said after her first start. “Just trying to find ways to impact the game, obviously.”

Taylor finished with two points and added four rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. She also finished as a plus-eight and made her presence known on defense.

“Some nights it’s not gonna be there for me offensively for me or anyone so just finding other ways to impact the game,” Taylor continued.

“So just coming in with a mindset of it’s really cool to have my first career start, especially here. With some of the greatest players to play in the W. Just trying to go into it really level-headed and just being consistent with my effort and energy.”

The rookie received encouragement from Cloud at halftime via text message.

“She was just like, ‘You know you’re all over the place defensively. Just keep being more mindful with your turnovers.’”

The encouragement worked. After tallying four turnovers in the first half, Taylor had just one in the second half.

After Copper suffered a back injury, Taylor would go on to start three more games for the Mercury, including an 85-81 winning effort in Los Angeles where she had five rebounds, five steals, a block and was a game-best plus-11.

“I told her tonight she’s gotta pick up full court the rest of the year,” Tibbetts jokingly said about Taylor’s defense after the win in Los Angeles.

“She’s a competitor. She’s got a talent at that defensive end, just kind of like (Cloud) …Her offense will catch up. I think she’s slowed down offensively. And she’s not putting herself in bad positions but defensively she’s a problem for sure.”

While she leads the Mercury in plus/minus at 1.1 and is one of only three players on the team who is net-positive (Charisma Osborne and Brittney Griner), limiting her turnovers and making strides offensively is where Tyalor would most like to improve.

“I would say a little bit on the offensive side, as far as just finding my thing, like something that I'm extremely good at,” Taylor said.

“I can run the floor, obviously make layups, I can pass to my teammates. I have a pretty good, high IQ, but I think just being consistent with my shooting, my shooting percentages, being able to just be that knockdown shooter and just continuing to attack to find my teammates, so just, I feel like all around offensively, but definitely just the consistency part, as far as shooting goes.”

Though her teammates are already taking notice of Taylor’s growth as a player.

“Oh man, y’all see it every game,” Mercury forward Natasha Mack said in terms of how Taylor has evolved since signing the first seven-day contract. “Everybody see it every game. She already had the defense. The offense, it’s coming. She’s looking, she assists, she’s fast. We love it.”

Taylor said she’s relied on Mack and Kiki Herbert Harrigan the most within the Mercury organization during her tumultuous season of twists and turns.

“That's my dog. That's my dog,” Herbert Harrigan said about Taylor. “She's a really nice person, hard worker, just a great person to be around. Very genuine.

“I feel like a part of being a good player is also being a great person. So I feel like she has that.”

And when Taylor signed her rest-of-season contract on Sept. 6, nobody was a bigger fan of Taylor on the Mercury than Herbert Harrigan.

“I was hype. I was hype. I walked on the bus and hyped her up. I loved it,” Herbert Harrigan said.

Taylor’s rest-of-season contract is for precisely that, the rest of the season and she will be a free agent after the conclusion of the season.

However, when Taylor was on her second seven-day contract, she told Desert Wave Media that Phoenix is a destination she would like to remain at indefinitely.

“But for sure, willing. I love it here,” Taylor said. “So it would definitely be a place that I would want to start and finish my career.” 

Though no matter what happens in the offseason, Taylor has proved she can excel just about anywhere and this season was a learning experience for her in terms of adaptability.

“I think it's giving me the strength of being very adaptable in different situations, whether that be with people, whether that be through systems,” Taylor said. “And I think it's just given me no matter what situation you're in, you're going to figure it out. And there's ways that you can maneuver through the tough times, but just keeping my head on straight and continuing to work, and just being adaptable in any situation that you come into.”